P500 -1 Degree Cold Start - VIDEO - finally got a deep freeze in AZ

[SouthwestORV]

Howdy friends,

This past week we finally got an deep freeze up here in N/E Arizona, so I went out on the coldest morning and tested the FI capability - flawless, as expected. Yes, you can tell it had to try a little harder, but it woke up.

 

[alloutdoors]

Just a friendly comment, an engine start/stop in cold conditions can lead to condensation inside the block because of the wide swing in temperatures....

 

[906UP]

That's about the temp we start to wear a hoodie UP here

FWIW, my Donkey starts just fine at -25f

 

[trigger]

Probably would have started quicker if you had waited another couple of seconds before engaging the starter. I always turn the key and wait for that red light to start blinking before turning it over.

 

[Hondasxs]

-1d... no thank you. Lol.


Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[SouthwestORV]

Just a friendly comment, an engine start/stop in cold conditions can lead to condensation inside the block because of the wide swing in temperatures....

Thanks. That hadn’t occurred to me. I’ll keep it in mind.

 

[SouthwestORV]

That's about the temp we start to wear a hoodie UP here

FWIW, my Donkey starts just fine at -25f

I know, I know, some of you folks up north live in snow caves and don’t see the sun all winter. -1 was more than enough for me.

 

[SouthwestORV]

That's about the temp we start to wear a hoodie UP here

FWIW, my Donkey starts just fine at -25f

I know, I know, some of you folks up north live in snow caves and don’t see the sun all winter. -1 was more than enough for me.

 

[SouthwestORV]

Probably would have started quicker if you had waited another couple of seconds before engaging the starter. I always turn the key and wait for that red light to start blinking before turning it over.

I haven’t noticed the red light. I’ll watch for that. Thanks for the suggestion Trigger.

 

[alloutdoors]

Thanks. That hadn’t occurred to me. I’ll keep it in mind.

I'm only mentioning it because sometimes when you see "milky residue" in a differential (use is cold weather, gears getting warm and then quickly exposed to cold, then condensation will occur, been there done that on tractors) and it does happen in engines and something I generally take into consideration when checking cold and possibly having a "false positive", i.e., believe there is a water problem in the block when in fact it is just condensation which when hot will burn off, but something to be mindful of...

 

[906UP]

I know, I know, some of you folks up north live in snow caves and don’t see the sun all winter. -1 was more than enough for me.

We call them igloos.....Actually you guys have probably received more snow than us so far, we're down for the "season to date" but it will come.


No worries on cold starting, just let it get good and warm like @alloutdoors mentioned, that way any moisture will evaporate instead of condensing in the engine.

 

[Mudder]

Reminds me of this old post. That time of the year now, (or past time for some). P500 - Factory antifreeze protection?
Some interesting extremes, Brrrrr..P500 - Coldest temps for cold engine start up?

 

[SouthwestORV]

I appreciate the tip on letting it warm up to evaporate any condensation. That "coldest temps" thread is unreal. I may never see lower than -1 again, so Rambo has proven himself capable in my riding conditions.

 

[tomcj2]

Probably would have started quicker if you had waited another couple of seconds before engaging the starter. I always turn the key and wait for that red light to start blinking before turning it over.

This was one protocol that my dealer stressed during his delivery walk through. A couples of times last fall I didn't wait and it was slow to start and then stalled almost immediately. I looked up "Starting Procedures" in the manual and there is no mention of waiting.
We have had a couple of -5*(F) days. My "Toy" is covered but not inside a building. It starts as quickly in this cold weather as it did last fall.

 

[906UP]

This was one protocol that my dealer stressed during his delivery walk through. A couples of times last fall I didn't wait and it was slow to start and then stalled almost immediately. I looked up "Starting Procedures" in the manual and there is no mention of waiting.
We have had a couple of -5*(F) days. My "Toy" is covered but not inside a building. It starts as quickly in this cold weather as it did last fall.

This applies to any fuel injected engine, the fuel pump will run a few seconds to prime the system. You can hear it if you listen close......click, hum, click.....

 

[GRANITE]

mine doesn't start very good and it hasn't since it was new. its always rough to start and cranks a little longer than my yellow 2015 did. I don't know if I need to try a different plug or not but gonna change at first service.

 

[trigger]

mine doesn't start very good and it hasn't since it was new. its always rough to start and cranks a little longer than my yellow 2015 did. I don't know if I need to try a different plug or not but gonna change at first service.

I changed mine out with an Iridium plug at second service. Supposed to last longer and less chance of fouling. I honestly never had a problem with the factory supplied one, threw that one in the box for a trail spare.

 

[SouthwestORV]

I just love that it starts every time, and I don't have to wonder. My 2016 Rancher was the same. Elevation, temperature, none of it matters, and that makes it more fun to me.

 

[alloutdoors]

I just love that it starts every time, and I don't have to wonder. My 2016 Rancher was the same. Elevation, temperature, none of it matters, and that makes it more fun to me.

It is that Honda "run/start" every time caught my eye/attention when I was a teenager working for a construction. The company was using Honda generators in remote locations, running essentially non-stop in brutal conditions (high humidity and very hot) and I don't recall ever one of them breaking down nor serviced very much, but rather just adding gas when needed. Likewise, I recall that kind of reliability in all my Honda units owned since....

 

[ATCTim]

Something I do when it is very cold out when starting: Turn key to "on" - listen for fuel pump to prime, turn key back off, turn to "on" again, listen for pump to prime finally turn to "start" - I find the double prime actually helps tremendously in the cold weather. I have to do this on my Africa Twin and also have done this on my KFX700 as it was not fuel injected, but did have a fuel pump. It seems to start much easier this way in temperatures under 40 degrees F.